The Engineered-Mind Podcast | Engineering, AI & Technology

🔗 Connect with Seth DeLand on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-deland/

In this episode, we sit down with Seth DeLand, Product Manager for Generative AI at MathWorks, to explore how agentic AI is transforming engineering workflows in 2026 and beyond.
We discuss the evolution from classical machine learning (gradient descent, optimization, deep learning) to large language models and agentic AI systems that can call tools, write code, refactor models, and assist across the full engineering lifecycle.
Seth shares how engineers can move from manual implementation toward higher-level problem definition, requirements engineering, architecture design, and AI-assisted validation. We also explore MATLAB Copilot, Simulink Copilot (beta), and the Model Context Protocol (MCP), and how these tools integrate generative AI directly into real engineering workflows.
Tune in!

🔗 Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-bauernfeind-b42532304/

In this episode, we sit with Christian Bauernfeind, Head of Test Department at ABM, as he shares how ABM’s test department combines test benches and simulation to develop more efficient drive systems: motor, gearbox, and brake - from a single source. We cover ABM’s practical workflow using FEM and CFD with an SPH approach for oil cooling and lubrication, including how simulation helps screen many design variants before building only the best prototypes.Christian further explains what drives CFD accuracy in practice, how ABM validates results against real tests, and common pitfalls. You’ll also hear real use cases: oil-spray cooling of windings, hydraulic/oil losses in gear stages, and how simulation can reveal hidden issues inside “black box” components.Tune in!

🔗 More from Siemens:
Multi-domain simulation - Unparalleled engineering excellence: https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/simcenter/multi-domain-simulation-simcenter-x/
Riding the innovation bullet train: Simcenter X HPC: https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/simcenter/simcenter-x-hpc-aws-hpc7g/
Simcenter X - Pack light and move fast: https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/simcenter/simcenter-x-how-to-thrive-in-the-wilderness-of-cae/

🔗 Connect with Joel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeldavison/

Simcenter X Advanced main blog: https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/simcenter/simcenter-x-advanced-simulation/
Joel Davison presenting Simcenter X Advanced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QzqH3bwyKs
Simcenter website page: https://www.siemens.com/en-us/products/simcenter/
Simcenter X – HPC and remote desktop website page: https://www.siemens.com/en-us/products/simcenter/simcenter-x/hpc/
Simulation capabilities continue to advance, but how simulation is delivered, accessed, and scaled is becoming just as important as the models themselves. In this episode, Joel Davison, Director of Simcenter SaaS Product Management at Siemens, joins to discuss why SaaS and cloud delivery are transforming engineering simulation.
The conversation centers on the practical realities of modern engineering teams: deployment friction, IT constraints, licensing, collaboration, and how simulation fits into today’s cloud-first workflows.
In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why simulation software is moving toward SaaS and cloud delivery
  
• The key differences between on-prem and cloud-native simulation
  
• How Siemens approaches Simcenter SaaS without compromising engineering rigor
  
• Adoption challenges engineers face with traditional simulation setups
  
• How cloud access improves scalability, collaboration, and ease of use
  

Connect with Luca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/l-masi/

In this episode, Luca Masi, VP Global Sales and Business Development at ToffeeX shares his journey from space engineering to leading the commercial side of ToffeeX, one of the most advanced thermo-fluid generative design platforms in the world.He breaks down how ToffeeX cracked a problem that eluded the industry for years: real thermo-fluid topology optimization.We discuss:

• How Luca moved from CFD & rocket combustion analysis into sales, business, and ultimately ToffeeX
• What makes ToffeeX fundamentally different from AI-only generative tools
• Why thermo-fluid design is so hard, and how ToffeeX solved it
• How engineers can design better and faster using physics-driven automation
• The role of physics vs. AI - and why the future is hybrid

🔗 Explore MATLAB EXPO talk: https://de.mathworks.com/videos/therm...
🔗 Thermal neural network paper by Wilhelm Kirchgässner et al., Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, vol 117: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...
🔗 MATLAB implementation: https://github.com/wkirgsn/thermal-nn...
Connect with Tobias on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-moroder-327241261/

Connect with Georg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georg-g%C3%B6ppert-11a592206/

Electric motors run hot - and knowing their internal temperature is mission-critical. But here’s the catch: you can’t place sensors where it matters most. So how do engineers protect magnets from demagnetization, maximize power, and extend motor life?
In this episode, Tobias Moroder, Data Scientist, and Georg Goeppert, Systems Engineer at Schaeffler, break down Thermal Neural Networks (TNNs) - a hybrid modeling approach that fuses physics with machine learning to accurately estimate temperatures inside E-Motors.
Here's what you’ll learn:

• Why virtual sensing is essential for modern electric drives
  
• How TNNs merge lumped-parameter thermal models with neural networks
  
• Why hybrid models outperform black-box AI in safety-critical systems
  
• How this method scales to batteries, power electronics, and full vehicle systems
  
• How Schaeffler’s TNN implementation works in MATLAB - now open-sourced
  
• A clear, practical deep dive at the intersection of AI, physics, and automotive engineering.

Connect with Yeshwant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeshwant-mummaneni-98b3025/

Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-skarakis-b968434b/

In this Realize Live 2025 episode recorded in Amsterdam, we sit down with John Skarakis and Yeshwant Mummaneni — two Chief Engineers from Altair — to explore one of the biggest questions facing the industry today: How will AI transform engineering?
From physics-aware AI models to fully automated simulation agents, John and Yeshwant give a practical, no-buzzword look into how AI is reshaping product development, simulation workflows, and the engineering job role itself.
This conversation moves from high-level vision to real-world implementation:
how AI agents can launch CAD tools, mesh models, build solver decks, submit HPC jobs, post-process results — and even cluster outcomes to pick the best design direction in seconds.
🚀 In this episode, you’ll also learn:

• What AI engineering really means for simulation teams
  
• Why AI is “a new tool in the toolbox,” not a replacement for expertise
  
• How Altair’s Physics AI cuts solver time from hours to seconds
  
• The rise of AI simulation agents across CAD → Meshing → HPC → Post-processing
  
• Why domain knowledge remains essential (“junk in, junk out”)
  
• How GraphRAG and semantic context solve hallucination risks
  
• Why trust, guardrails, and human-in-the-loop design matter
  
• How Siemens’ acquisition of Altair accelerates AI-enabled engineering
  
• The evolving role of the engineer: specialist vs. generalist
  
• Where we are in the AI hype cycle — and what comes next

Connect with Haris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charilaos-haris-kokkinos-7601b419/

At another episode of Realize Live 2025 in Amsterdam, we speak with Charilaos (Haris) Kokkinos, Technical Manager at FEAC Engineering, a company specializing in numerical simulations, digital twins, and advanced digitalization technologies. FEAC collaborates closely with the Siemens Simcenter portfolio, delivering high-fidelity simulations and real-time digital twin solutions across aerospace, defense, naval, and industrial applications.
In this episode, Haris breaks down what a true digital twin really is - beyond buzzwords, beyond AR/VR, and beyond simple sensor data. He reveals why digital twins require physics-based simulations, sensor integration, and AI-driven reduced-order models working together to enable real-time, real-world predictive behavior.
🔍 We also talk about:

• Why there’s no single definition of a digital twin — and why everyone is “right”
  
• How FEAC built a digital twin for a naval vessel using CFD, structural analysis & sensor fusion
  
• How AI, reduced-order models, and PINNs accelerate simulation workflows
  
• Why engineers today need to understand both physics and data
  
• How the job of an engineer has evolved over the last decade
  
• What FEAC looks for when hiring engineers (hint: it’s not just degrees)
  
• Why Siemens tools like Simcenter 3D, STAR-CCM+, Amesim & Mendix enable FEAC’s workflows
  
• Why teamwork beats individual specialization in modern engineering organizations
  

This is a deep, practical, and candid conversation about the realities of modern simulation, digital manufacturing, and how AI is reshaping engineering (without the hype!).

Connect with Enric on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/enricroyo/⁠

At another episode of Realize Live 2025 in Amsterdam, we speak with Enric Royo Jiménez, Aviation Program & Digital Simulation Lead at H3 Dynamics, to explore how hydrogen fuel cells and digital twin technology are transforming the aerospace industry.
Enric breaks down how H3 Dynamics is pushing the limits of zero-emission aviation, creating lightweight hydrogen fuel cell systems for aircraft, drones, and defense applications. The company’s mission: to make aviation cleaner, safer, and more efficient — from the ground to the skies.

Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-luiten-a3b5173/

At another insightful episode of Realize Live 2025 in Amsterdam, we sit down with Wendy Luiten, a pioneering thermal engineer and Six Sigma Master Black Belt, who became the first woman to receive the 2024 Thermi Award!In this episode, Wendy talks about the rapidly growing energy and water crisis behind the world’s data centers - and how computational fluid dynamics (CFD), liquid cooling, and sustainable design can change the future of AI infrastructure.She shares insights on:

• Why AI-driven data centers could soon consume up to 5% of global energy
• How liquid immersion cooling works, and why it’s better than air
• The trade-offs between fluor-based and plant-based cooling fluids
• How Six Sigma and design space exploration accelerate innovation
• Why engineers need to “defend empty space” in thermal system design

This is a conversation that challenges how we think about data, heat, and the responsibility that comes with innovation.

Connect with Leoluca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leolucascurria/

In this episode, we sat down with Leoluca, Global Product Manager at Siemens, to explore the fascinating world of Executable Digital Twins (XDTs) - a paradigm shift transforming the way industries connect the digital and physical worlds.
We talk about what makes XDTs different from traditional digital twins, how companies like BASF are already using them to “measure the unmeasurable,” and why AI is no longer optional if you want to stay competitive.

Leoluca also shares insights on:

• How XDTs move simulation models beyond design and into real-time operations
• Real-world use cases in manufacturing and process industries
• The role of AI and agentic systems in building lightweight, real-time models
• Common misconceptions and pitfalls when adopting new tech
• How leaders can start small and scale smart